How to Live Luxuriously for Less

Have I ever mentioned that we bought a house?

Nope?

Didn’t think so…

I realise I have dropped it into conversation a fair few times, but it consumes a good chunk of our lives and finances and makes me really happy, so why not? This is an interiors post of sorts, but is also one Adam and I have been discussing with lots of our visitors, who often comment on the mix of eclectic old beautiful furniture we’ve obtained since moving in.

There have been coffee tables, a piano, a dining table, a corner cabinet, a huge chest freezer, chest of drawers, sofas, a bureau, wardrobes, book shelves, beds and so many other things. The interesting thing?

We got them all for free!

This definitely isn’t a post to brag, it’s simply comparing the special things we’ve wanted to spend more money on and those other items we have held out for and waited until the right piece appeared for us to collect for free.

You see, when you buy a house that absolutely scrapes the last penny from your bank account leaving nothing but cobwebs, there isn’t the luxury of buying everything new. However, to live luxuriously, also doesn’t mean you have to settle for less.

If anything, we’ve been more picky.

When there have been things we’ve really needed, or those we really care about and had specific ideas for, we’ve saved up, searched the internet to find them and bought them second hand. Like the log burner in the living room, the mirror in our bedroom, and the amp and speakers downstairs. Our usual rule is not to spend more than £50, and it’s incredible what you can pick up from people selling on Facebook, Gumtree and eBay. Barley twist Victorian side tables, a marble topped dresser, beautiful wardrobes that were almost made for the house.

However, whilst furniture is easily spruced up, there are some high quality items that we would rather get brand new, such as these luxurious Egyptian cotton bed sheets* (click here to see where they came from), our blacker then blackout bedroom curtains, and a down and feather duvet.

Especially in your bedroom, a room you realistically spend the majority of your life in (even if you’re not necessarily conscious at the time), it’s so worth splashing out more budget on those extra luxuries.

There’s nothing lovelier than snuggling down at the end of the day into fresh bed linen, and this new set is perfectly crisp and white against our new 100 year old wooden bed (which, amazingly, was free from a lady advertising locally!)

It’s worth being picky and waiting for exactly what you’re looking for, else you may find you’ve ended up with a whole heap of junk rather than furnishing your home beautifully. Equally, if you find something that ticks all the boxes but is a bit tatty, if you have the capability to upcycle, fix small sections or jazz it up to match your style, it doesn’t have to be perfect initially.

With this bed, the bottom frame had one carved section that was broken, and we knew we wouldn’t be able to fix it, so instead we took out the decoration on the foot end, sanded it back and oiled it, and you’d now be none the wiser! Adding some cosy and luxury touches to what realistically was someone else’s junk has given our bedroom a new lease of life and suits the house so much. It’s definitely not always about how much you spend, but rather, where you choose to spend, that means you still can live luxuriously for less.

***The bed linen was sent to me for review, but all opinions are my own***